Under the shade of trees in front of the Municipal Palace, taxi drivers who are members of the Auténticos Trabajadores del Volante (Authentic Wheel Workers) group in Tijuana have begun a hunger strike, demanding the authorities to deliver them license plates to work.

At 30 degrees Celsius and with an empty plastic bottle in hand, the representative of the group, Donaldo Montoya, says that they have already bear a day without eating anything, only liquids.

Taxi drivers have demanded for almost three years the delivery of contracts from the City Hall, there were 150 members when they started the group, and now it’s just over 80 members who remain unanswered on the issue of permits.

"We have no insurance, no vacations, and no benefits. We are being exploited, we demand our patrimony."

Donaldo Montoya explains that the situation has affected the families of the drivers, as the cost of maintenance and rent for the unit (the car) monopolizes most of what they earn daily, resulting in insufficient income.

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Translated by: cristina.mora@sandiegored.com